TNAG-2788-FCO40-4027-Chinese-policy-on-Hong-Kong-an-overview-1993 — Page 17

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B4.

Lu Ping told District Board members that the

National People's Congress had already laid down

*

"pre-conditions" concerning the "through train" and that

neither the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office nor the

Foreign Ministry could pre-empt the authority to be exercised by the Preparatory Committee in 1996 (TKP 28 May

1993).

B5.

Lu Ping told a Heung Yee Kuk delegation that China would stand firm on the through train, as well as on elections to functional constituencies and the election

committee. He said that China could not guarantee that all

legislators elected in 1995 would sit in the 1997 legislature. He said that the NPC had empowered the Preparatory Committee to determine the application of "objective criteria" to confirm members of the SAR's First

LegCo. Whether such criteria could be announced before

1995 would be a matter for the NPC Standing Committee.

said that legislators elected in 1995 would have to satisfy objective standards set down in the Basic Law regarding

age, place of residence, foreign passport holders and that

they would be subject to confirmation by the SAR Preparatory Committee. He said that taking an oath would be sufficient to show allegiance to the SAR.

B6.

Qian Qichen was quoted as saying that if both

sides could not reach an agreement there could not be a "through train". (Hong Kong press 4 October 1993).

B7.

He

According to the Express and Wah Kiu Yat Po (14 October 1993) at his meeting with the Foreign Secretary on 1 October Qian Qichen had said there were 3 reasons why legislators might not be able to ride the through train: